The Road So Far: Aria Rice [4/4]

Posted on Fri Jun 7th, 2024 @ 10:38pm by Lieutenant JG Aria Rice

1,999 words; about a 10 minute read

Place: USS Nova, Somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant
Year 2388

I love myself today
Not like yesterday
I'm cool, I'm calm
I'm gonna be okay! - Bif Naked, ‘I Love Myself Today’

Ensign Aria Rice smiled as she materialised on the USS Nova. Her first ship, in space. Like, really in space. She looked around with awe, taking in all in. “Hi!” she waved at the transporter Chief, who looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

A small ship, but it was perfect for her. Her first posting in Security, wearing the uniform, doing what she had to do. She loved it. She had graduated and was so, so proud of herself. She had sent an holograph of herself in her graduation uniform to her mother, but had not gotten any reply back. She hadn’t expected one, but had found herself disappointed.

Even so, this was a brand new spanking adventure. She was ready! She could do this! She could make a difference!

If only she had known…

Place: USS Galileo, somewhere in Federation space
Year:2389

It's all a game, avoiding failure
When true colors will bleed - Poets of the Fall, ‘Carnival of Rust’

The USS Galileo had taken on an ensign who had lost a tiny bit of her shine. Just a smudge, just a hint. But not enough. There had been incidents, small adventures that she had never anticipated when she had been curled up studying. When she had worked hard, to get away from Luna.

"Ensign... that was not a request, that was an order... please don't make this any more difficult for me than it needs to be."

"Please note my objection to this order, even if I have to obey it.”

"The doctor does not appear to be getting anywhere with it. I just do not trust anything it says and does."

"It's a he. No matter what he says and does, whether it is true or not...he is not an it."


She had defended a Vorta, of all things. Brushed away the instinct of distrust, if she had it at all in her at that point, for acceptance. For trying to stand for what she thought Starfleet stood for. The Vorta who had identified as male, appeared male to her eyes. She had never actually asked him what he preferred. They were never that close.

"In short? 'Blah blah, you all suck, blah blah, I am ashamed of you, blah blah, if you don't like it get a transfer, because I am emotionless and don't care and worth a hundred of you useless children'! I can't deal with it."

"You know it's not true though, right? Right, Aria?"

"I...when he said it, I exploded. I told him to screw himself, so...I might have thought less of myself when I said it. When I swear, that's me getting defensive..."


Aria had struggled under some Chiefs. Under the harshness fostered by a bitter conflict, the twist and turns of a Starfleet that felt it needed to keep those who had bravely fought against the Dominion sheltered from judgment, yet not keeping the eye they should have on them. The bitterness that leeched into the souls of those under her. She had tried, so hard, to stay positive. To stay strong, stoic. But even she had, as a young Ensign, had her limits.

"Get away from him!"

"HEY, come here you monster! Want a piece of me?!?"

"Put those bloody flames out! Shit…”

"Is anyone else hurt?"

"Not sure if you guys have noticed, but we are currently running on one security guard for an entire away team, which is far less than standard protocol. We have no choice but to return to the Galileo, now. It's my responsibility to keep you all safe and I can't do it with a half-burned out phaser. We need more Security, we need new weapons, and we need to regroup..."

The Chief had died. A creature had killed him in a cave, protecting its young. She was left there, with the away team, the only Security left. She had barely spared a second look at her deceased Chief, knowing he was dead the moment the jaws had closed around him. The creature too was dead, by her hand. Put out of its misery when wounded. It should have been more upsetting for her to see a person die than a creature. Maybe there was something wrong with her.

She would do better next time.

“Good to see you Lieutenant. . . Report."

"The shields are at 12 percent and remaining. We have two phaser arrays operational, both on the port side. No torpedo launchers forward, but the aft one is still working alright, but she doesn't like my controls. Fires when she wants and hits whatever she wants."

"You have been through so much. You should be proud of yourself for surviving all of this."

"Permission to be relieved, Sir?"

“I am going to ask you to hold out here for a little longer. I am going to go check on our teams across the ship. I am very proud of you, my friend."

"Yes Sir. Thanks.”

Every battle, every confrontation, every change, ever new danger the universe threw at her, shaped her. And through it all, that little commbadge stayed close, its jagged edges reminding her that she wasn’t alone, not truly.

Until she got another transfer, leaving her Galileo family behind. Leaving Gabriel Stark. Leaving Scarlet Blake. Leaving Lily Blake.

Place: USS Saratoga, outskirts of Federation Territory
Year: 2390

And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
"What's going on?" - 4 Non Blondes, ‘What’s Up’

“You know what I like about you, Rice?”

Aria looked at the prisoner, a smuggler, a small smile coming to her. “What’s that, D’avin?” she asked, reaching for a piece of popcorn, throwing it in the air and catching it in her mouth. She kicked her legs in celebration.

“You’re a survivor. Like me,” D’avin said, sipping his water as he studied her. “You have this girlish giggling thing with a smart mouth going on. But there’s something there as well that is a lot…harder.”

“Yeah? Wow, did you like…go to telepath school or something?” she asked before she frowned. “Hey, not a Betazoid are you? Because I am so totally not consenting to you probing my mind and feelings.”

“And there we go…deflecting,” he tutted before he looked down. “Like you’re worried people will see that deep inside of you, to see that…strength and determination inside. Bet you have all sorts of delicious little insecurities and issues.”

“Oh trust me, I got more issues than a Vulcan safety manual,” Aria retorted, her eyes not meeting his. She let out a breath, shaking her head. “Stuff happens, you know. I can’t dwell on it too much. I’m here, I’m doing what I was meant to do. The road was just a part of the adventure, both the good and the bad.”

“Quite a speech,” he said, just watching her for a moment, taking a slow, deep breath as if he could taste the emotion in the air.

“You know what I love about Starfleet?” she asked, her eyes oddly gentle before she smiled. “I mean, what I really love about it? Cutting the bullshit?”

“Tell me,” D’avin said, curious as he stood, to stand close to the forcefield.

“The mercy,” Aria said, her voice gentle before she nodded. “The way Starfleet is able to make friends with old enemies. The morals of interfering is really, really annoying. Like, some peeps just need their heads bashed together. But it is the mercy about it that matters. You don’t shoot someone in the back. You don’t throw away a life. There is redemption. There’s hope. And you…just have to be the best you are. If that means you are letting your Captain be the best by just being the support role, isn’t that…great too? You don’t have to be the hero in the holonovel. You can be the one that brings the coffee, which by the way is the nectar of the gods. Because you’re part of something bigger and better.”

“You, dear, are an idealist,” D’avin laughed, shaking his head.

“I know! Isn’t it amazing,” she smiled before she stood, rolling her shoulders. “Okay, let’s get you to see the XO…” she lowered the forcefield, gasping when he suddenly pulled her in, his arms around her. “Okay, unfair move!”

“Sorry, Starfleet…I guess I don’t live up to the stories,” he said before taking her into a chokehold.

Aria’s eyes narrowed as she tried to breathe, her hand going to her pocket. She pulled out the broken commbadge and stabbed the sharp edge into his side, pulling away when he cried out with pain. She kicked him hard in the chest, using it to jump back, reactivate the forcefield. “Bad move!” she shouted, wiping the blood on her uniform before putting it back in her pocket. She tapped her commbadge, breathing hard. “Rice to Medical, send a doctor to the brig to patch up an a-hole.”

“I told you…” D’avin said, grinning, gripping his side as his dark eyes watched her. “You are a survivor.”

Place: Mars Station
Year: 2391

Everybody waiting for the fall of man
Everybody praying for the end of times
Everybody hoping they could be the one
I was born to run, I was born for this – ‘Whatever it takes’, Imagine Dragons

“So you got…13 knives?”

“Yep,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Aria Rice nodded as she watched the Operations officer in front of her, who was in charge of getting her things from the docks to her temporary accommodations. “All registered, of course. Would be a shame to take weapons and then like, not register them. That would just be stupid!”

“Yes…” the Warrant Officer looked at her, or more down at her from his seven feet stature, taking in the short, girlish Lieutenant Junior Grade. “Stupid. And you transferred from…?”

“USS Saratoga,” Aria quickly got in, nodding as her hands drummed on the console in front of her, standing there almost nervously. Weird. She was fine usually but here she was, as if she suddenly was going to be caught with contraband.

“Uh-huh…” he nodded as he brought up her record to verify. “And you’re transferring to…”

“The USS Fenrir,” Aria interrupted, giving a nod. “Yep, that’s me, Lieutenant Junior Grade Aria Rice, born 23rd November 2365. Graduated in 2388. Serviced on…some ships…held some position and ranks…oh, got demoted, that was fun!”

“Fun…?” he looked at her with confusion before he shook his head. “Captain Scarlet Blake approved your transfer, so…you’re fine. I guess.” He handed the PADD back. “We will be beaming your things to your quarters on your ship, but you won’t have access to it.”

“Can’t I grab some things before you-“ Aria started then saw her bags dematerialise. “Never mind…replicators still are a thing…never mind…” she took the PADD and gave him a smile. “Stay…your happy self, Warrant Officer. You know, just be…you.”

He watched her go, cocking his head to the side with some confusion. “Happy?” he muttered and then looked up at a crewman with skin like an albino snake. “It’ll be one of those days I suppose…” he said to himself before acknowledging the next person on his list to get onto the station.

[END]

 

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